It doesn’t matter how well they sing, play their instruments or approximate original acts: a segment of the listening population will never allow themselves to enjoy tribute bands. And that’s fine.
Another segment, however, recognizes the potential: top-shelf, thirty-something musicians may never write music as successful or memorable as Pink Floyd, Talking Heads or Grateful Dead classics, but they can damn well improvise over them like champs, just as jazz players blow on American Songbook standards. The two tribute bands — Pink Talking Fish (Pink Floyd, Talking Heads and Phish) and Connecticut’s own Z3 (funky organ-trio takes on the music of Frank Zappa) — playing at Toad’s Place in New Haven on Thursday allow you to glimpse the future, when living, breathing interpretations of music you grew up with may prove to be as transporting (on some level, anyway) as those primary sources.
Showtime is 7:30 p.m.; tickets are $18-$23. Information: toadsplace.com
